Cannes Best Documentary Winner ‘Four Daughters’ Acquired for US Distribution by Kino Lorber

The film follows a Tunisian family whose two eldest children were radicalized to the point of joining ISIS

Four Daughters
Four Daughters

Kaouther Ben Hania’s “Four Daughters,” winner of the L’Oeil d’Or Award for best documentary at this year’s Cannes Film Festival, has been acquired for U.S. distribution. Kino Lorber will open the film theatrically this Fall, following stops on the international festival circuit, and followed by a digital and home video release on all major platforms.  

“Four Daughters” was the sole Arab film in Main Competition at Cannes this year, and Sharon Waxman of TheWrap wrote that it “takes us into the intimate, inner circle of family ties to tell a larger story of our time.” The picture concerns the story of Tunisia’s Olfa Hamrouni and her daughters, detailing a family history through interviews and reenactments to deconstruct how the two eldest kids were radicalized to the point of joining ISIS.  

“We were immediately captivated by Kaouther Ben Hania’s powerful documentary Four Daughters, a riveting piece of filmmaking that takes an innovative and provocative approach to nonfiction storytelling,” said Kino Lorber SVP of Theatrical Distribution and Acquisitions Wendy Lidell. “Ben Hania casts accomplished actors to perform alongside her real-life documentary subjects, adding a layer of complexity that gives agency to her collaborators and mines truth from the space it occupies between fact and memory. We couldn’t be more thrilled to bring this groundbreaking documentary to U.S. audiences this fall.” 

The deal for “Four Daughters” was brokered by Kino Lorber Senior Vice President Wendy Lidell and Samuel Blanc for The Party Film Sales. In addition to the deals previously announced during Cannes, “Four Daughters” has also been sold to Canada (Mongrel / Metropole), Iceland (Bio Paradis), Baltic Countries (Estofilm), Portugal (Nitrato Filmes), Romania (Bad Unicorn), and Hungary (Vertigo Media). The German release will be handled by Rapid Eye Movies. 

“Four Daughters” is produced by Tanit Films in association with Cinetelefilms and Twenty Twenty in co-production with Red Sea Film Festival Foundation, ZDF/Arte, and Jour2Fête. The film is produced by Nadim Cheikhrouha in association with Habib Attia and Thanassis Karathanos. 

Kaouther Ben Hania’s previous 2020 feature, “The Man Who Sold His Skin,” was nominated for a Best International Feature Academy Award. Last year’s L’Oeil d’Or winner, “All That Breathes,” went on to earn an Oscar nomination for Best Documentary. 

This year, the Kirsten Johnson-led jury praised the filmmakers behind “Four Daughters” for their “courage and imagination” and applauded the films for their ability to “break the silences and overcome the traumas passed down from generation to generation”. 

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